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BOSTON — Spring's most popular floral event, the Boston Flower & Garden Show, returns to the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston on Wednesday, March 13 through Sunday, March 17. Concern for the environment and enthusiasm for home veggie production have planted "Seeds of Change" in New England's gardens. This five-day event features over 20 gardens created by professional landscape designers, nurseries and historic properties embracing innovative new plants, materials and techniques that increase the beauty, bountiful harvest and ecological friendliness of gardens and outdoor spaces.
The 2013 Boston Flower & Garden Show will kick off Tuesday morning, March 12, with the "Hard Hat" Press Preview hours, where media can enjoy a sneak peak of this year's show and mingle with New England's top landscape designers and gardening experts as they place the finishing touches on their displays.
Set to the backdrop of spectacular garden displays by cutting-edge landscape professionals and area nurseries, visitors to the 2013 Boston Flower & Garden Show will also enjoy a wide variety of lectures and demonstrations by top garden writers, industry professionals and chefs, shopping from a wide marketplace featuring thousands of plants and hundreds of the newest gardening products, as well as chances to take home exciting giveaways!
Garden Marketplace: Hundreds of retail vendors feature thousands of plants, garden tools and furnishings, landscape services, botanical décor and floral themed gifts.
The Birds & the Bees: Experts will be demonstrating how to raise chickens and keep bees — two of the fastest growing environmental hobbies.
From Garden to Gourmet: Local chefs teach how to grow, use and preserve produce and herbs for year-round enjoyment and nutrition.
Floral Competitions: The annual tradition continues as the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society coordinate colorful competitions among the region's top amateur floral arrangers and horticulturists, all set to the show theme.
Ask the Experts: Master Gardeners will be on hand to help with vexing garden issues from soil typing to insect treatments.
Little Sprouts Kids Corner: Children's activities center on learning the importance of organic gardening.
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston
Dates & Hours: Wednesday, March 13, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thursday, March 14, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, March 15, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, March 17, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission: Adults/$20, Seniors (65+)/$17; Children (6-17)/$10; Children under 6/free.
Group discount tickets are available in quantities of 20 or more. Please contact email@example.com. Tickets are available at all Roche Brothers and Sudbury Farms Supermarkets and at www.bostonflowershow.com
For more information, please call the Paragon Group at (781) 237-5533 or visit www.bostonflowershow.com


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text: The SIRUI S-Pro Nano MC ND8 (3 Stop) Neutral Density Filter 72mm is a Neutral Density Filter that reduces light by 3 stops. When shooting in the bright sun or in strong light conditions, and the shutter speed needs to be slowed to create brilliant effects, the ND filter is a great tool. It reduces the light entering the camera to increase the aperture and adjust the shutter to maximize the creative control of the image.


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Focal length
The sensor is positioned behind this point on what is called the image plane. If you know the size of the camera's sensor, you can easily calculate the focal length of the lens you will need to image the whole of your target object.
Learn more on this topic with our Imaging & Vision Handbook! Order it now for FREE!


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Barron's Buzz: Buy India in 2013
Barron's Senior Editor Jack Hough joins The News Hub to explain why it's a good time to buy Brazil, Russia, or India stocks in 2013, and where you can find 5-6% yields in today's environment. Photo: AP Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... autumn sales Barron's float on what we take a suet cake at what is in this weekend's my sane ... what are my Simon Constable and joining us now that we have Jack now bounce Columnist imperious slightly longer large sheets of paper Google launched its ... assault on the cover story ... income where to get income were to get as much as six percent or more in your money you don't even after break any laws to do it ... while we have buy into various basically take readers on a ... quick tour of all the different income producing ... asset classes what to watch the classes I would have preferred of ... preferred stocks junk bonds convertible bonds to a real estate investment trust muni bonds the people of the tax free income ... the dividend paying stocks like utilities and have ... a MLP is worker who asked a limited partnership getting focus on energy and collecting tolls for pipelines and stuff like that so ... aam will will Italy is we've been in a range of basically Edgar shows readers where are the best the twentieth of the DC heels without taking too much worse when there is a fairly high heel can mean high risk asset that can have the aura now of course as you know it's very competitor for you everybody wants more deals with interest for the memorial interest rates this low ... so aam you have to be selective looking for bargains we basically laid out the landscape start the year for readers ... of data out of town even that was already this year which I'm very impressed so little to ... lol but you're in a boy you when you're in this town a lot of opportunity ... I'm so keen of Brazil Russia India ... yet ... um look look around the world what markets might ... be poised to outperform next year ... Brazil looks like a good long-term value here it's underperformed a little bit when things really held up as an expensive currency in the current House come down lots of resume what you were to turn things around ... aam India could face accelerating growth next year is raising ... some reforms there and its economy could be due for more ... on in his orbit pricier than the others but if growth picks up the stock Stockton ... Mattel proved to be reasonably priced ... and was Russia Russia the one no one likes for its one of the cheapest markets known world spots six times earnings right now ... there's a lot wrong with Russia Russia is not somewhere to park your cash for the next ten years ... but Russia might be ahead in the contrary entry here and and and and it did this with the footy get it painted it the reason that ... Russia's most visited my head of property rights issues are with ... me to take it from what we can fill our what's more more the rush to remember to keep things are the economy is is is very dependent on energy and energy is everything and Russia also ... think that the demographics are lousy the ever shrinking population is all sorts of institutional money no problem so ... you know ... Russia needs were communicative but you don't break your ... fifty plus it was left their problems and Russia but the share prices there are way way on a wet with the fundamentals this market beaten down too much ... it could be due for him you're only a modest improvement valuations are taken a big jump in share prices so Russia might be ... in Indy could get the best new things they did to the companies that pay better dividends that sort of thing ... can a doctor to do ... maybe actually ... look at some new law so it was just fantastic some quirky domain names that demand is like the look on what's going at things like that you've got some lucky ones coming out what is going be a lot coming out ... of bed five Mandarin third-quarter Siri consume more than a thousand These ... Ahmed has been a rough nineteen hundred applications so far ... we look at companies that are going into that in the business recovers from a Missouri car business with the awesome cast are trying to control these domains that they can sell Wednesday was the fact that some of the Maxwell are not quite dot com I'm a just a short list of some of the more interesting ones the applications include ... dot Stocks ... dot ... Sale ... dot Ninja ... and this or that I'm not sure about this when God W T F is that maybe someone from Wisconsin Trade Federation is one of the madness I knew I knew you were them and ask yet and so the these companies all bodies up on and also um out to people who wanna have fun ... yet discover that could make them as it is on the bigger players are also trying to get the handsome is like Amazon and Google wheels look at some smaller companies are making this a basically the entire business on whether this can make money for them ... you know you can get a of a list also some the more interesting domains that may be coming our way in case you wanna put in a bitter something like that well you know the names don't recommend on the initial me especially as I will be it may apply to all MacIntyre about playing the cello was a pleasure thank you check out columnist with a Barron's I'm Simon Qassam on that's been your ... spots ... thank you thank some ...


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REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- So much to see: Frank Lloyd Wright vistas in Ivy
Address: 3675 Brinnington Road
Neighborhood: Meriwether/Ivy in Albemarle
Asking: $1,195,000
Assessment: $1,141,700
Year Built: 1999
Size: 3,756 fin. sq. ft. / 1,336 unfin.
Land: 4.12 acres
Agent: Charles McDonald, Re/Max Assured Properties, 981-1585
Curb Appeal: 10 out of 10
If money cannot buy happiness, it can buy space and light. Frank Lloyd Wright designed houses that would have views without and views within, connecting seemingly expansive interiors with the landscape outside.
This sprawling Wright-inspired property does just that. As it's all on one level, the house's unusual shape allows for windows and doors in corners that open to the outside, offering 180-degree views of the heavily wooded lot. With the crunchy gravel driveway, it almost has the feel of a Zen retreat.
The space is ideal for working at home. A large office complete with built-in cabinets and desk space that wraps around three walls makes it seem big enough for two to work together comfortably with plenty of storage for files, supplies, and the like.
Another space for more creative work is the artist's studio a few steps below the rest of the house, with a cathedral ceiling. Bi-fold doors expand for privacy, and the small sink would be useful for washing brushes. Tall windows bring in the light, and electronic screens provide shade at the touch of a button; the space is now used as a music room.
To bring in even more light, the owners have added a skylight above the kitchen island and solar tube lights in rooms that normally wouldn't have any natural light, like an interior half bath. The kitchen also has an additional window that expands the views. Another efficiency is the house's multi-zoned heated concrete floors, which allow for varying temperatures throughout. The concrete also stays cool in the summer, meaning less air conditioning.
Foodies will envy the professional kitchen. The owner, a former culinary school owner, ripped out and trashed the house's existing Viking stove (insane by many foodies' standards) and replaced all appliances with the French Miele brand. With pale wood and light granite, the space is airy. Stainless also reflects the light.
Beyond the high-ticket appliances, the room is designed for a working cook. The island has a lower, waist-height prep counter complete with an additional sink for rinsing, and an under-the-counter trash bin to sweep scraps out of the way. Clean-up was also a consideration. The over-sized sink has an irregular shape— a round protrusion accommodates big pots. Shelving that tucks into the wall and comes out to pivot on tracks, drawers that pull themselves shut, and an induction cooktop also add to the kitchen's luxury and efficiency. A big pantry offers additional storage.
One of Wright's concepts for home life was that shared spaces should be large while private bedrooms remain small. Off the kitchen and dining area, the open living room's double corner doors open to a terrace, and two large windows point out, creating an extra seating area. The space also has a fireplace and built-in shelving.
A separate guest suite comes furnished. It's accessible by a covered breezeway but at arm's length from the main house. The suite has a large bedroom with sitting area and as much light as the rest of the house. A screened-in porch off the bedroom leads to a deck.
With such a lush space– including a private kitchenette– it may be difficult to get guests to go home.
But who could blame anyone for not wanting to leave a place with so much to see, in every direction?
Each week, a brave local seller invites the Hook to provide an impartial, warts-and-all look at their real estate listing. E-mail yours today!


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From a game on an aircraft carrier to a possible players' revolt, what's ahead in NCAA hoops
Every week, our panel of sports fans discusses a topic of the moment. For today's conversation, Emma Carmichael (writer, Deadspin), Hampton Stevens (writer, ESPN and The Atlantic), Patrick Hruby (writer, ESPN and The Atlantic), and Jake Simpson (writer, The Atlantic) talk about the beginning of the NCAA basketball season.
Hey, guys,
In just about a week and a half, one of the greatest spectacles in recent sports history will take place: The men's basketball teams from North Carolina and Michigan State will play each other, in a game that will count, on a massive aircraft carrier on the water in San Diego. To be exact, the aircraft carrier is the USS Carl Vinson, which hosted Osama Bin Laden's burial at sea in May, and the game will be played on Veterans Day. And, to honor the military, the teams will be wearing camo jerseys that say "U.S.A." on the back instead of their last names.
And here we've been, pining for the loss of the start to the NBA season. A reminder, everyone: There will still be basketball in this country this year, and it will still be great. It doesn't have its own television channel or a business element (although arguably it should), but it is, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining and engaging seasons there is.
So let's talk college hoops—and aircraft carriers, if you'd like. I, personally, am utterly relieved that order has been restored and the Tar Heels are at the top of the preseason rankings, while Duke rests at a lowly No. 6. The rest of the top 25 is similarly predictable, as it always is, but the wonder of this sport is that come March, none of it will matter. Division I men's hoops has, in the past few years, actually come to know something resembling parity. Look no further than Brad Stevens's Butler Bulldogs.
So in a game in which forecasts do no good (except, of course, for the fact that the Heels will be national champions this year), what are you looking forward to, Hampton? As far as I know, your Jayhawks don't have any games on an aircraft carrier this season—but surely, there must be something?
Me? Manhattan and Maui, for starters.
A few days after North Carolina dons those patriotic, yet undeniably ugly uniforms, KU visits the Greatest City on Earth, to meet Kentucky at the World's Most Famous Arena—if you don't count the Colosseum in Rome. Then the Jayhawks fly to the South Pacific, joining Georgetown, UCLA, and Chaminade for the EA Sports Maui Invitational. KU plays a game in Kansas City around Christmas, as they do every year, meeting hardy little Davidson at the Sprint Center, then wraps the non-conference schedule in Hollywood against USC. But, as filmdom's most famous fictional Kansan said, "There's no place like home." That's where KU will be when the calendar goes Spinal Tap on 11/11/11—on Naismith Court, in glorious Allen Field House, where the game as we know it began.
Truth be told, though? It's a weak non-conference schedule. With good reason. The team lost a ton of talent from last year, and three—count 'em three—highly recruited freshmen have been declared academically ineligible. While the Morris twins and Josh Selby are off somewhere not playing in the NBA, their former team will go through the season with only eight players on scholarship.
That's trouble, because March Madness isn't the only thing that matters. Not in Lawrence, anyway. KU has won or shared the Big 12 title an incredible seven straight times. Winning an eighth, especially with this roster, would be spectacular—no mater what happens in the postseason tourney.
How the team plays matters, too. Last year's club was just plain thuggish—with the twins throwing elbows on the court and putative team leaders acting like fools off-campus. It was embarrassing. This KU club needs, as a former Tar Heel player and Jayhawk coach used to repeat ad nauseam, "to play the right way." For me, anyway, that means making grades and staying out of trouble off the court as well as making extra passes on it.
And you, Patrick? What's got you excited to see the amateurs play?
In one breath, you extol the glorious, unmatched tradition of Kansas basketball; in the next, you hem and haw and sandbag and proclaim that the Jayhawks winning a mere conference title would be a spectacular achievement akin to putting a man on the moon, or perhaps the invention of the beer cozy.
In terms of sheer humble-bragging, have-it-both-ways, expectation-managing chutzpah, are you sure you're not a Duke fan?
But, as usual, I digress for the sake of a cheap shot. What has me excited for the upcoming college basketball season—beyond the chance to watch actual hoops, as opposed to looped footage of Derek Fisher and David Stern walking in and out of buildings—is the tiny-but-very-real chance to not watch hoops, thanks to a possible player sit-down/boycott of the wheezing, unfair, unsustainable, un-American system that is big-time amateur college sports.
Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Not anymore. The long con of amateurism has reached its early terminal stage, via in-progress antitrust lawsuits and eyes-wide-open scholarship and a general sense that, hey, maybe that giant pile of television bullion should belong to the football and basketball players putting in 40-plus hour workweeks and risking concussions, as opposed to Scrooge McDuck, NCAA compliance officer. (Exhibit A : the Two-A's new $2000 non-stipend stipend for college athletes, the equivalent of saying women should be allowed to acquire secondary education, but let's not get all crazy and let them vote).
Nothing would give amateurism a much-needed shove off a cliff like a player boycott. A work stoppage, if you will. Athletes exercising the most potent—and really, the only—leverage they have. Imagine the teams in the NCAA title game (say, Kansas, if you're particularly imaginative) sitting down at center court after the opening tip, refusing to play. Imagine all the teams in March Madness—or just on one regular season weekend—joining in. You think the network sugar daddies that pay a premium to sell game-time slots to advertisers might demand some immediate changes? You think university presidents might have a bit more motivation to stop sticking their heads in the sand, and by sand, I mean the aforementioned pile of gold?
A boycott would be fraught with risk. College athletes would be putting their futures on the line. Doing so would take major cojones. According to former UMass guard Rigo Nunez, a number of college players nearly staged a sit-out during the 1995 NCAA tournament. They got cold feet. Similarly, Taylor Branch reported in The Atlantic that an unidentified college team once planned to boycott the NCAA title game if they advanced that far. They fell short. (The team in question is widely believed to be UNLV's 1991 squad; if Greg Anthony, Larry Johnson, Travis Bice or anyone else in the know wants to spill the beans, contact me! I'm eager to tell your story).
Still, there's reason to think a strike would be worth it: according to former Syracuse football player Dave Meggyesy, his squad threatened to boycott the 1961 Liberty Bowl, mostly because the school's athletic department was receiving television money for the game while the players were set to get nothing—not even the customary bowl gift of a wristwatch. The team captains went to athletic director Lew Andreas and demanded watches. The school complied. The more things change ...
Jake, are you with me in anticipating a college hoops revolution? Or are you just waiting for some good games?
Jeez, Patrick. I think there's an angry, poorly-constructed sign in Zucotti Park waiting for you to hold it aloft. Also you neglected to mention the most famous basketball-related "boycott"—the threat by the 1964 NBA All-Stars, including Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Jerry West to boycott the All-Star Game over a pension dispute. Just minutes before the game was supposed to go on, the owners caved and agreed to the players' demands. Maybe Russell, who recently joined Ed O'Bannon's lawsuit against the NCAA, could give today's college hoops stars some tips.
If not, I'm looking forward to watching Northwestern finally make the NCAA tournament. My beloved Wildcats are the only power conference program that has never made the Big Dance, which is ironic since the school hosted the first NCAA tournament in 1939 (the site of the tourney, Patten Gymnasium, is now used for such watershed events as pickup basketball games, fencing practice and Ludacris concerts).
Much like the pre-1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, Northwestern fans have developed an almost perverse hope that blooms every November and withers by mid-March, our own reverse winter from Hell. Our current coach, Bill Carmody, has been at the helm for 11 years without a tourney berth but lingers on, like Joe Paterno without the success.
But I'm calling it this year, people: We're making the Big Dance. Senior forward John Shurna is a beanpole of a man who can find a way to score from anywhere on the floor. Junior Drew Crawford, now a season removed from his Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign, is a talent waiting to explode. And though the conference has several strong teams this year, it is short on dominant big men (Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is the notable exception), which should mitigate the Wildcats' glaring size disadvantage.
The rest of you can drone on about North Carolina, Michigan State, and Kansas, the investment banks of NCAA hoops. I'll be glued to the mom-and-pop shop that is Northwestern. Here's to making history.
See more posts from the Sports Roundtable.
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Hearty Stuffed Green Peppers
This recipe is so easy to make and is so delicious, you will be making it all the time. They are great on a cool winter night for dinner!—Helen Englehart, Maplewood, Minnesota
Total TimePrep: 20 min. Cook: 40 min.
Makes4 servings
- 6 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 4 medium green peppers
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
- 1 cup instant rice, cooked
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, onion, celery, tomato sauce, water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut tops off of green peppers and remove seeds; set aside. In a bowl, combine ground beef, rice, basil and remaining salt and pepper; mix well. fill peppers with beef mixture. Carefully place peppers in tomato sauce. Spoon some sauce over tops of peppers.
- Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until beef is cooked and peppers are tender.


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Based on that conversation, small-D is already in the marketplace in 2007
I have not seen a 2001 large D, small D silver panda. For the 2001 500 Yuan gold panda and 2001 D 500 Yuan gold panda, the 2001 has straight reeding while the 2001 D has diagonal reeding. If the same is true for the 2001 and 2001 large D silver and the small D was just added to the 2001 silver, then the small D 2001 should have straight reeding instead of the diagonal reeding found on large D 2001.
Both 2001 and 2001 D silver panda have straight reeding. Starting 2002, silver pandas have diagonal reeding.
SANDAC, with all due respect, that assertion is based on one source, and lots of murky "he said, she said" circumstances. Again, close to 900 photos you examined you found zero small-D (up to that point in time). Does it make any sense to you that, if someone already had possession of a small-D prior to 2012-2013, none was graded (or discovered)? Of course, it's possible but is it probable?
For those against the small-D, the "why none existed prior vs many afterward" remains the most convincing point.
A scenario I can imagine is that the Mint started out by punching the D on the finished coin. (This has to be proved by microscopic evidence of such punching. But anyone claiming these are fantasy coins with the D punched by a private party has to prove it anyway.) After some were produced, the Mint decided it was not a viable method of mass production, and so switched to engraving the D on the die/hub. The trial strikes were stored in some corner of the Mint vault instead of getting melt. Around 2010, they chanced upon these long forgotten coins and decided to release them to make some money. :)
Something to keep in mind; this is not an official statement from China Gold Coin, China Banknote Printing & Minting, or the People's Bank of China. Best wishes,Peter AnthonyChina PricepediaThe Gold & Silver Panda Coin Buyer's Guide 3www.pandacollector.com
2008 - 2017 CE Collection Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Copyright
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Important information
Unfortunately the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on September 27, 2020 as well as the MARATHON EXPO (September 24-26, 2020) cannot take place as planned.
We are using the entry drawing procedure for runners for the 2020 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON as is common at other marathon events in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series (AbbottWMM).
The registration deadline for the entry drawing process for runners ended on October 31, 2019.
The results of the entry drawing will be announced by email from November 27 to December 3.
Also on December 4, 2019 at 9 am (CET), an additional group of 1,000 race numbers was available for 190 Euros, of which 65 Euros will be donated to the RTL Charity Marathon. The amount of donations will be donated in full to a charity project for Berlin children. Sold out!
For a guaranteed race entry register via a tour operator or charity partner.
Handbikders, wheelchair competitors and inline skaters can register further on.
It is possible to pay with Visa, Mastercard and SEPA.
You get more information in the sections below. Use the registration buttons for register as a runner, wheelchair competitor, handbiker or skater.


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Style #: Sonali
Fall 2020
Browse our designers. Not all gowns carried in Boutique. Please contact if seeking a specific style.
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you earn minimum wage, you may soon get a pay raise.
President Barack Obama unveiled a plan in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to raise the federal minimum wage to an hourly rate of $9 by 2015, up from the current $7.25 an hour.
If it becomes law, it would boost the wages of 15 million Americans.
"Let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty," Obama said. "Let's tie the minimum wage to the cost of living so it finally becomes a wage you can live on."
When Obama campaigned in 2008, he pledge to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011, but that deadline has come and gone.
If this new proposal becomes reality, how would this play out for full-time employees making the minimum wage?
Workers getting paid the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 translates into $14,500 a year. Were the rate to rise to $9, a worker would earn roughly $18,000 a year.
"Right now I'm saving up for a scooter, so I would get it that much quicker, it would make going back to school a lot easier, and I'm sure that's true for a lot of people," deli worker Jenna Otero said.
Currently, some 3.8 million hourly workers earn at or below the minimum wage.
The president faces a tough battle getting a wage hike through Congress. The last time lawmakers approved such a bill was in 2007, when they agreed on an increase from $5.15 per hour to the current rate of $7.25.
Some small business owners are hoping the new wage does not become law.
"Times have been a little difficult around here as it is, not to mention you throw in the factor of having to pay your employees even more, it does make it a little more of a challenge for us," said Krista Nilsson, of Therapie Clothing Store in San Marco. "If we can hire more when we need them, we might not be able to. So it just gives us a little more of a challenge and just a little more difficult for us as a small business owner."
If the minimum wage had kept pace with the cost of living since 1968, it would now equal $10.56. The White House says that raising the wage to $9 restores its inflation-adjusted value to where it was in 1981.


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Are you affected by the fire? Please share your images and footage if you can do so safely.
Yosemite National Park, California (CNN) -- The numbers are staggering and the prospects are scary as a still-growing California wildfire menaces Yosemite National Park and San Francisco's water supply.
The tourist hotspot Yosemite Valley and its iconic attractions, including the El Capitan rock formation, currently are safe, miles from the Rim Fire's reach. However, the blaze was on the edge of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which serves 2.6 million customers in the Bay Area.
Water quality remains unchanged, despite ash that has fallen on the 459-square-mile reservoir, because the water is drawn from a depth of 260 feet, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The city was already transferring 275 million gallons of water daily from Hetch Hetchy to other reservoirs because Hetch Hetchy is full, but as a precautionary measure, the city increased that amount by 27 million gallons, a Tuesday statement said.
The commission said it was confident the Rim Fire would not affect the reservoir: "Due to the rocky, granite terrain and limited brush along the perimeter of the reservoir, there is little risk for direct water quality impacts."
The fire could threaten the area's hydroelectric generators, which provide much of San Francisco's electricity.
Because of the approaching flames, officials shut down the generators, and the city -- more than 120 miles to the west -- temporarily is getting power from elsewhere.
"All of San Francisco's municipal electric customers continue to be fully supplied; there will be no interruption in electric service," the commission said.
The Rim Fire, which has devoured about 184,000 acres, was still only 20% contained as of Tuesday evening.
It is the seventh largest blaze in California's recorded history.
"There's a lot of concern, and there's a lot of work to be done," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Lee Bentley said.
Firefighters on Tuesday were able to build fire lines in several locations.
Evacuations were ordered south of Highway 120, north of Old Yosemite Road and along the Highway 108 corridor between Tuolumne City and Pinecrest.
"Access and difficult terrain remain concerns for crews and equipment," said an incident report. "Rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior are hampering suppression efforts."
As many as 20 helicopters and DC-10 and C-130 air tankers were aiding the efforts of 3,800 firefighting personnel.
A top priority is stopping the fire from spreading farther in Yosemite National Park.
A portion of Tioga Road in the park will be closed for several days beginning Wednesday so that firefighters can perform fire suppression.
"The work that will be performed over the next few days is instrumental in suppressing the Rim Fire within Yosemite. The safety of the firefighters working along the road is our paramount concern," park Superintendent Don Neubacher said in a statement.
Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek campgrounds, both located along Tioga Road, will remain closed.
Yosemite fire: Blaze spreads to national park
Yosemite, with hundreds of campground sites and lodging units, had nearly 4 million visitors last year, the National Park Service said. The park typically has 15,000 visitors on a busy summer weekend.
While the Rim Fire has consumed at least 12,000 acres in the northwest section of the park, it has had little or no direct impact on Yosemite Valley, a popular spot for tourists and home to many of the famous cliffs and waterfalls in the park.
The park has closed a few roads, campgrounds and wildlife trails while restricting smoking and building camping or cooking fires in wilderness areas.
About 5,500 structures, many of them vacation homes, were under threat, according to InciWeb, a federal website that collects information from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The fire has cost more than $20 million, Bentley said.
Thirty-one residences and 80 outbuildings have been destroyed.
Wildfire threatens 90-year-old cabin
The inferno threatened the Yosemite gateway communities of Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake just outside the Stanislaus National Forest.
"Business is slow, very slow," said Corinna Loh, owner of the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland.
Her normal season is Memorial Day to Labor Day.
"This is time we manage to save up money to make it through the winter, so it's really scary for all of us," she said, sitting among empty tables.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, issued evacuation advisories for the town of Tuolumne and nearby Ponderosa Hill, InciWeb said. It was not clear how many residents were covered by the evacuation advisory.
Authorities say the Rim Fire started on August 17. The cause is under investigation.
What you need to know about wildfires
CNN's Nick Valencia and Gary Tuchman reported from Yosemite National Park, and Ed Payne and Eliott C. McLaughlin reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Amanda Watts contributed to this report.


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|2015 Annual Meeting: Exhibiting and Advertising
Exhibitors and Advertisers
The American Folklore Society invites publishers of materials of interest to folklorists in all media to reserve exhibition space at the Society's 2015 annual meeting, scheduled at the Westin Long Beach, October 14–17, 2015 (exhibit days are October 15–17). The theme of the meeting, on which presentations will be encouraged but not required, is "Ecologies, Encounters, and Enactments."
Produced every year since 1889, the AFS annual meeting is the largest professional gathering of folklorists in the world, bringing more than 800 folklorists together for professional and social interaction. Registration and proposal numbers have grown steadily in recent years; last year we achieved new record numbers. We expect another good turnout for our 2015 meeting.
This year, our schedule again builds in free time to allow participants more opportunities for informal engagement—and browsing the exhibit room! Long lunches (12:15–2:00 p.m.) and evening free time (Thursday, 4:00–6:00 p.m.) will allow participants more time to shop.
In order to increase traffic to the exhibit room further, we will schedule several other activities in or in the immediate vicinity of the exhibit room, including complimentary morning and afternoon beverage service each day for exhibitors and attendees and table-top presentations by a number of AFS interest-group sections.
All exhibitors will receive a complimentary listing in the AFS annual meeting program book, but we encourage you to send your message to meeting attendees by reserving ad space in the book. All exhibitors will receive significant discounts (between 30% and 80%) on the purchase of advertising space, and exhibitors who rent three tables will receive a half-page ad FREE!
Click here for more specific information about exhibiting or advertising at the 2015 annual meeting.
When you are ready to reserve table or advertising space, you may submit your order in our online store.
If you prefer to fax or mail your reservation and payment, download our exhibitor information and reservation form.
The deadline for table or advertising reservations is July 1.
AFS Sections
The Society also extends an invitation to its interest-group sections to reserve complimentary exhibit table space to promote the activities of their sections. Sections requesting such space must provide people to staff the table for a total of 20 hours during the annual meeting. Section exhibitors should also review the complete AFS section exhibition information.
Sections, you can reserve your complimentary table space online. The deadline for Section reservations is March 31.
If you prefer to fax or mail your reservation and payment, download our section exhibitor information and reservation form.
Course on "Using a 'Storytelling Therapy' Method for Life Coaching, Counseling, and Therapy"


text: Your "Closing on a House" Questions Answered February 27, 2017 Purchasing a home is a huge milestone. You've saved, you've done your research, and you've probably walked through quite a few houses before you found the one that feels like home. But now the time has come to close on your new home, and you may be left with a few questions. Luckily, we're here to help. From gathering the necessary mortgage documents to determining the house closing timeline, below are some common questions—and answers—about what to expect when it's time to close on your new home. How long does it take to buy a house? There is no hard and fast answer to this question; the timeline to close on a home varies person to person. It may take you a month or two to find the home that's right for you, then you have to factor in financing. Setting a budget and getting pre-approved for a loan within your price range can help speed up the process, and can give you an advantage if you find the home of your dreams—you'll want to be able to make a solid offer and close on the home in a timely manner, especially if you have competition! Learn how landscaping affects your home value! What is closing on a home? Closing is when all involved parties sign the papers that officially transfer ownership of the property over to you. The day before closing, it's helpful to gather any documents related to the purchase of your home, such as your loan estimate, contract, proof of homeowners insurance, home appraisal, inspection reports, and closing disclosure. At the actual closing, you will be expected to accomplish two things: sign legal documents, and pay closing costs and escrow items. At closing, you will receive the following documents: Closing disclosure: provides details of your mortgage loan, estimated monthly payments, and closing costs. Mortgage note: indicates the amount and terms of your loan and what legal action the lender can take if you fail to make payments. Mortgage or deed of trust: secures the note and give you lender a claim against the home if you do not honor the terms of the mortgage note. Certificate of occupancy: applies only if you are the first occupant of a newly-built home, and is required for you to move in. How long does it take to close on a house? Currently, the average time to close on a mortgage loan is 50 days. Timing on this actually depends on several factors, such as whether you are financing or paying in cash, and what type of loan you have applied for. For example, some loans require additional underwriting, and could take up to 60 days for processing. What are closing costs? Closing costs are the fees charged by the lender at the closing of your house. Many buyers often wonder what they can expect closing costs to be. It depends on where you live, what type of property you buy, and the type of loan you use. Typically, they add up to between two to five percent of the purchase price of your home. Can closing costs be included in a mortgage? Yes, but it comes at a price. If you don't pay closing costs up front, you may be charged a higher interest rate by your lender. The closing fees could also be included with your mortgage, which means you'll pay interest on your closing costs, too. Do sellers ever pay home closing costs? The good news is that closing costs are negotiable. Sometimes the seller will agree to take on the buyer's closing fees. As a buyer, you will have more costs than the seller, and sometimes they will agree to pay the closing costs. This can be tricky if you purchase a home in a seller's market; if you received two offers for the same amount, but one buyer is asking you to pay closing costs, the answer is obvious. However, in a buyer's market, you're more likely to have extra negotiating power. What is escrow? Escrow is when an impartial third party holds on to something of value during a transaction. For example, when you make an offer on a home, you will have to put down some earnest money. That money will be placed in escrow, where it will be held to ensure both parties (the seller and the buyer) receive what they are due at the appropriate time. You might also encounter the term "escrow" in regards to funds that are held by your lender to make payments for your homeowners insurance and property taxes. Escrow tends to make things easier, because a portion of your insurance and taxes are collected along with your monthly payment and are paid when those bills are due. It helps you, because you don't have to remember to set aside money each month for taxes and insurance. And it helps your lender, because they know in advance that those bills will be paid in full. When do I need to buy homeowners insurance? You will probably need to buy homeowners insurance before you close on your new home, especially if, like most people, you have to finance it. Your home will have been appraised as part of the underwriting process, so purchasing homeowners insurance falls early in the house closing timeline. Unless you agree to an escrow, you will typically be asked to provide proof that you've prepaid one year's worth of coverage before closing. How much coverage do you need? Amounts will vary by lender, but you should have enough to rebuild your home should the worst happen. There are two basic types of homeowners coverage out there: Replacement Cost Coverage Pays the full amount to repair or replace the damaged area of your home, without regard to depreciation. Actual Cash Value Coverage Reimburses you for covered losses to your home up to the current value. The age, condition and worth of your home are taken into account when settling losses. Protect what plugs in with Residential Equipment Insurance. Protect What Matters Most Now that you understand the house closing process and timeline, do you still have questions about homeowners' insurance? We've got answers! Your local Farm Bureau agent can help ensure that you have the coverage you need, when you need it. We know that a home is more than a roof over your head; for questions about how to protect your home and the other things that matter most, contact your agent to learn more. Resources: http://www.homes.com http://www.bankrate.com https://www.zillow.com


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Provides the most accurate and effective way to communicate and specify color choices to clients and manufacturers.
Swatch Cards of the same color can be sent to multiple production sites around the globe and aid in the coordination of multi-component programs.
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Color : Ice Green
Actual 4x8 inch cotton fabric swatches of individual Pantone Fashion and Home colors. Each dyed cloth piece is folded back on itself to make a 4x4 inch two-ply presentation in a hermetically sealed UV protective envelope. Used by fashion designers and interior decorators to communicate with clients and vendors. The swatch illustrated here is intended to be a close representation of swatch color 13-5414 Ice Green


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U.S. judge tosses most of SCO Group Inc. claims over Linux code
U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball on Thursday upheld a magistrate's decision to dismiss 187 of SCO's 294 claims against Big Blue.
SCO acquired rights to Unix, a computer operating system developed in 1969 by AT&T's Bell Labs, through a series of acquisitions and mergers. It earns money by licensing continually improved versions.
The Utah company claims IBM deployed licensed code it was supposed to keep confidential into the freely distributed Linux operating system. SCO is laying claim to code IBM wrote for its version of Unix called AIX, which IBM claims it owns outright.
Kimball indefinitely postponed a trial that had been set for Feb. 26 on Thursday and instead scheduled a series of hearings in March. At those hearings, IBM will ask the judge to throw out what remains of the $5 billion lawsuit SCO filed in 2003.
Magistrate Brooke Wells gutted much of the case in June, ruling SCO had "willfully failed to comply" with court orders to show IBM which of the millions of lines of code in Linux were supposedly misappropriated.
SCO argued that was IBM's job, a stance Wells likened to a security guard who accuses a shopper of stealing merchandise -- and demands the shopper show proof of theft.
The magistrate said that if there was any merit to SCO's claims, they were likely to produce only nominal damages instead of billions of dollars.
Kimball gave Wells' reasoning his full support Thursday, finding that SCO had deliberately failed to show any proof of its claims. In its appeal, SCO continued to insist IBM was in a better position to flag Unix-derived code among the 5.7 million lines of code that make up the kernel or brains of Linux.
SCO claims that its Unix code is what made Linux sturdy and reliable. The Nasdaq trading network uses Unix to process as many as 5,000 stock transactions a second. McDonald's Corp. and other fast-food companies use it to track restaurant orders and sales.
Kimball made it clear no trial will be held before Sept. 17, when another trial is set to get under way for slander-of-title claims SCO filed against another Utah technology company, Novell Inc.
In that case, SCO asserts Novell hurt its business and reputation by publicly and emphatically denying it sold copyrights when it allowed SCO to take over the business of servicing Unix technology.
Kimball has raised doubts about whether any copyrights were transferred in a 2005 ruling that left the matter for a jury to decide.
Novell, which has operations in Provo and Waltham, Massachusetts, and IBM, headquartered in Armonk, New York, are among companies that have begun developing products for use in Linux.
SCO Group did not not return a call Thursday from The Associated Press. John Charlson, an IBM spokesman, said Kimball's decision speaks for itself.
Microsoft has announced the release of its "Digital Defense Report," which is described as "a reimagining" of Microsoft's "Security Intelligence Report" (SIR).
Ignite 2020 saw the public preview of Azure Arc enabled data services, the latest step in Microsoft's bid to demystify multicloud. Principal program manager Travis Wright explains how it works.
The acquisitions are expected to enhance Ivanti's mobile endpoint security offerings.
Microsoft has affirmed its software-defined networking infrastructure support for telecom companies, especially as they move more toward rolling out 5G wireless services.
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Topotecan belongs to the group of cancer-fighting medications known as antineoplastics. It kills cancer cells by interfering with the genetic material DNA, which is necessary for their growth and reproduction. Topotecan is used to treat metastatic cancer of the ovary after other treatment(s) have failed. It is also used to treat small cell lung cancer that has returned after initial treatment.
This medication may be available under multiple brand names and/or in several different forms. Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here.
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are receiving this medication, speak to your doctor.
Each single dose vial of a sterile lyphoplized, buffered, light-yellow-to-greenish powder contains topotecan HCl equivalent to 4 mg of topotecan as free base. Nonmedicinal ingredients: mannitol, and tartaric acid. Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide may be used to adjust to a pH of 3. The solution pH ranges from 2.5 to 3.5.
The recommended dose and dosing schedule of topotecan varies according to body size and the results of blood tests carried out before your treatment. It is injected into a vein through a specially prepared site on your skin. The appropriate dose is usually injected over 30 minutes, once daily for 5 consecutive days followed by 16 days without medication. This cycle is then repeated at least 3 more times.
Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. Your doctor may choose a schedule different from the one listed here.
Very careful handling of this medication is required. It is always given under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital or similar setting with access to sterile equipment for preparation.
As well as interfering with the genetic material DNA of cancer cells, topotecan can interfere with some of your normal cells. This can cause a number of side effects such as hair loss and mouth sores. Topotecan often causes nausea and vomiting, but you will be given medications to help control this. Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can advise you on how to reduce the effects of nausea and vomiting. Keep track of any side effects and report them to your doctor as suggested in the section, "What side effects are possible with this medication?"
It is important this medication be given exactly as recommended by your doctor. If you miss an appointment to receive topotecan, contact your doctor as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment.
This medication is stored at room temperature and protected from light.
Do not dispose of medications in wastewater (e.g. down the sink or in the toilet) or in household garbage. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.
Topotecan should not be used by anyone who:
Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is used in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.
The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people receiving this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.
Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.
Although most of the side effects listed below don't happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not check with your doctor or seek medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:
Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are receiving this medication.
Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.
Anemia: Topotecan may cause low levels of red blood cells. If you experience symptoms of reduced red blood cell count (anemia) such as shortness of breath, feeling unusually tired, or pale skin, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Your doctor will do blood tests regularly to monitor the number of specific types of blood cells, including red blood cells, in your blood.
Blood clotting: This medication can reduce the number of platelet cells in the blood. Platelets help the blood to clot, and a shortage could make you bleed more easily. Tell your doctor of any signs that your blood is not clotting as quickly. Such symptoms may include black and tarry stools, blood in the urine, easy bruising, or cuts that won't stop bleeding.
Extravasation: This medication may be irritating to your veins while it is being administered. Please let your nurse know immediately if you feel any burning or pain at the injection site while the medication is being given.
Infection: As well as killing cancer cells, this medication can reduce the number of cells that fight infection in the body (white blood cells). If possible, avoid contact with people who have contagious infections. Tell your doctor immediately if you begin to notice signs of an infection, such as fever or chills, severe diarrhea, shortness of breath, prolonged dizziness, headache, stiff neck, weight loss, or listlessness. Your doctor will do blood tests regularly to monitor the number of specific types of blood cells in your blood.
Lung inflammation: Topotecan can cause lung inflammation, especially for people with a history of lung problems (e.g., fibrosis, lung cancer, chest radiation). This can be serious and sometimes fatal. If you experience cough, fever, or shortness of breath, contact your doctor immediately.
Neutropenic colitis: This medication can cause neutropenic colitis, which is an inflammation of the colon associated with a decrease in white blood cells. If you experience abdominal pain with fever, seek immediate medical attention.
Weakness/tiredness: This medication is not expected to make you drowsy and impair your ability to drive or use machinery. However, it may make some people feel weak or tired. Do not drive or use machinery if you feel weak or tired.
Pregnancy: There is a possibility of birth defects with topotecan if it is taken during pregnancy. Effective birth control should be practiced while using this medication. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately.
Breast-feeding: It is not known if topotecan passes into breast milk. Women who are receiving this medication should not breast-feed.
Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children.
There may be an interaction between topotecan and any of the following:
If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:
An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.
Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2020. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/AJ-Topotecan


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Wooden coving is a decorative moulding that is used at the junction between a wall and a ceiling or as a cornice or wooden pelmet. This coving is available in a number of wood options - as a hardwood coving or softwood coving.
Learn more about this product - CLICK 'View Detail Sheet'. The dimensions shown are the overall, finished sizes.
Coving 836 is a custom product - this is produced to order and available in many types of wood.
Useful links to help you - About wood, Care and Decoration, Moisture Content, Durable Wood, Pricing, Match your design, Why wood is so good, Our blog, About us, Get in touch
Wooden coving is a decorative moulding used where the top of a wall meets a ceiling. Can also be used as a cornice or decorative moulding to furniture or kitchens.
This item can be used for both external and internal applications
Not found what you are looking for? Need a different size, slightly different profile or to match what you have? All in the wood of your choice and in any quantity - click here for an instant price for a bespoke or custom product to match your requirements. Bespoke wooden mouldings and much more. Anything made of wood, we can source it.
Left unfinished to be coated or finished as desired. This will be 'bare' - for information about wood finishing please go to https://www.wooduchoose.com/finishing-and-decorating-wood
We have multiple partners who can supply this product. Compare prices and options
Customizable and then lovingly made, for you, to order. You'll get estimated timescales at pricing stage
Available in your choice of wood species. We'll also help you choose the right wood for your application
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Consumer Alert
Alaska Joins 50 Attorneys General in Opposing Robo-Calls to Cell Phones
Alaska has joined 50 attorneys general in asking Congress to reject the "Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011" (House Resolution 3035).
The legislation, which amends the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, would allow robo-calling to cell phones, leaving some consumers to foot the bill for the calls. For example, debt collectors and other businesses could place automated "informational" calls to cell phones, impacting those who pay by the minute or have a limited number of minutes available.
Currently, federal law allows robo-calls to be placed to people who have given their explicit consent to receive them. If H.R. 3035 passes, the law will be expanded to allow businesses to robo-call any consumer who has provided their telephone number in the course of a transaction regardless of whether a consumer asks not to be contacted.
State attorneys general are concerned that H.R. 3035 would limit their ability to enforce stricter state laws against junk faxes, prerecorded calls or text messages. The legislation would also narrow the definition of what constitutes an illegal "automatic telephone dialing system." If passed, the new definition would only prohibit "random or sequential number generators" which means "targeted" calls would be permitted.
The attorneys general also pointed out that an increase in calls to mobile phones could present a hazard to drivers who may become distracted. A 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that cell phone use was involved in 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes.
The proposal is currently being considered in the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce the first step in the legislative process. The full text of H.R. 3035 is available on the U.S. Government Printing Office's website.
Consumer Protection Unit
December 2011


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Presented by Nina Shea, Commissioner
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
May 16, 2000
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
On behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, on which I serve, I wish to thank the Committee for inviting me to testify before you today about religious freedom in Sudan.
Mr. Chairman, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom decided to focus on Sudan because we have found that the government of Sudan is the world's most violent abuser of the right to freedom of religion and belief. As it prosecutes its side of a 17-year old civil war -- a war that ignited when the regime in Khartoum attempted to impose Sharia, or Islamic law, on the non-Muslim south and in which religion continues to be a major factor -- the government of Sudan is carrying out genocidal practices against its religious and ethnic minorities. Such practices include aerial bombardment, scorched earth campaigns, massacres, slavery, forcible conversion, and its most lethal tactic, what Senator Frist has termed "calculated starvation." (The latter is achieved by creating through brutal means vast numbers of internally displaced persons -- estimated at 4.5 million they number the largest internal refugee population in the world -- who are dependent on humanitarian relief for survival, while barring international relief flights from delivering aid.) As a direct result of the conflict, some two million persons have been killed, mostly Christians and followers of traditional beliefs in south and central Sudan.
That the government of Sudan has not yet prevailed in the war may be due to the fact that, until last year, it has been financially strapped, and in default to the IMF and other international lenders. Last August, oil developed in south Sudan by foreign companies in a joint venture partnership with the Khartoum government came on stream, and has begun to provide windfall profits for the regime, as well as a critical source of new international respectability. The proceeds from the oil revenues will be used to support the Sudanese military's actions, and the human tragedy in Sudan is likely to become worse. There is ample evidence that this is already happening: since February, a Catholic primary school in the Nuba mountains, Samaritan's Purse hospital, near Juba, operated by the family of Rev. Billy Graham, a clinic of Voice of the Martyrs, a clinic of Irish Concern, and other relief centers, churches and civilian targets in south Sudan have been bombed by the government in one of the most relentless bombing raids of the war.
In addition to the conflict, which the Sudanese government declares to be a jihad (against both non-Muslims and dissident Muslims), the regime is responsible for other forms of religious persecution throughout the country. These concern the Commission as well. Muslims who do not subscribe to the government's extremist interpretation of Islam are persecuted. Christian schools were nationalized in 1992. Christian churches and prayer centers continue to be demolished, and the government has not granted permission to build or repair a church in over 30 years. The regime suppresses Christian and African traditional religions in a variety of ways.
Neither the international community nor the United States has any plan to address the mounting tragedy in Sudan. Although the United States has imposed against Sudan trade and financial sanctions for American companies, and provides massive amounts of humanitarian relief, these steps do not respond to the underlying catastrophe in Sudan. Nor does current policy address the question of whether the Sudanese government's actions constitute not only war crimes and crimes against humanity, but actually amount to genocide.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished Senators, in its report, the Commission proposes a comprehensive set of policy options to significantly strengthen the United States' response to the crises in Sudan. The Commission's recommendations emphasize the need for an intensive diplomatic effort over the next 12 months to stop genocidal actions and human rights abuses, providing both disincentives and incentives for the Sudanese government to comply with international standards of religious freedom and other basic human rights. These include bringing world moral opprobrium to bear upon the genocidal regime and providing non-lethal aid to opposition groups in order to strengthen the defenses of the vulnerable civilian populations.
In addition, the Commission recommends increasing economic pressure on the regime, especially by restricting foreign companies involved in Khartoum's strategic oil industry from raising money in U.S. capital markets. The Commission calls for greater transparency and disclosure for foreign companies engaged in the development of the oil and gas fields in Sudan that are seeking to obtain capital in U.S. markets, but also, because of the extremely egregious, in fact genocidal, nature of the religious persecution in Sudan, the Commission urges that access to U.S. stock and bond markets be restricted in this specific case. In an underdeveloped country such as Sudan, it is the sanctioning of investment rather than trade that will bring real pressure upon the regime. Last year, overall foreign activity in U.S. securities markets was twice the level of 1995, and we are entering a new era in which Sudan is poised to obtain more resources from American investors than from the IMF.
Because the regime continues its genocidal practices, the recommendations also set forth measures to ameliorate the agony of the targeted population in south and central Sudan. These include ensuring food aid reaches starving communities by channeling more aid outside the United Nations' system, supporting through peaceful means a "military no-fly zone," and strengthening an infrastructure to sustain and stabilize civilian life.
The Commission's recommendations for the most part are based on the same principle -- intensifying the economic isolation of the Sudanese government as a pariah state -- that proved so effective in ending apartheid in South Africa during the 1980s. None of the Commission's recommendations calls for the involvement of U.S. troops or UN peacekeeping forces. They do not risk involving the United States in a dangerous quagmire of financial and military obligations. They do require American resolve and leadership. In the half century since the ratification of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the world community has rarely invoked it or applied its definitions. Typically, when it has been used, it has been years after the fact, after the killing has stopped and the mass graves have been exhumed, as was the case in Cambodia, or when it has helped to justify a decision to intervene militarily, such as in Bosnia and Kosovo. These past occurrences of genocide fill the pages of our newspapers to this day and they continue to haunt our policy leaders. The Commission's recommendations are intended to help in time to save lives, and to do so through peaceful means.
In reaching these recommendations, the Commission made an on-site visit to southern Sudan, conducted its own hearings and research, met with religious and other non-governmental organizations ("NGOs"), reviewed the public reports of the State Department and obtained information from other agencies. The State Department has withheld certain documents relating to the application of economic sanctions on Sudan on grounds of executive privilege, and more importantly resisted on the same grounds making available to the Commission embassy cables, even though Commissioners and senior staff hold the requisite security clearances.
A more detailed discussion of the Commission's concerns and recommendations regarding Sudan follows:
1. The Humanitarian Tragedy
Since 1983, when the second phase of the civil war began, almost 2 million people have died in Sudan as a direct result of the war, most of whom died from starvation. 1 Another 4.5 million have been displaced inside the country. 2 This amounts to nearly a quarter of all such internal refugees worldwide. There are 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Khartoum alone. Many internal refugees live in squalid conditions in what the government of Sudan euphemistically calls "peace camps." These refugee camps have only primitive sanitation facilities, are largely dependent on food supplied by the United Nations, and provide their inhabitants with virtually no means of self-support. In some camps, the inmates are forced to convert to Islam before they or their children can receive food and medicine.
Despite the desperate needs of the Sudanese people, the government of Sudan prohibits international relief missions from bringing food to many who are seriously affected. Although Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), the United Nations humanitarian relief mission for Sudan, sought to provide food relief for the starving population, the government continued its "no flight" ban on these famine areas and advised that it would shoot down any UN or NGO plane attempting to make humanitarian flights to the region. OLS and many NGOs agreed to the conditions imposed by the government. Recently, the World Food Programme issued an urgent notice that a serious famine is expected to strike Sudan this year (2000) in the hard-hit regions of Bahr al-Ghazal and Darfur. The government continues to veto food delivery flights in various areas. There are several NGOs that step into the breach and deliver food and other aid to areas covered by the flight ban imposed by the Sudanese government. These "non-OLS" NGOs run the risk of being attacked and shot down by the government's armed forces.
At the same time, attacks on civilians continue unabated. On February 8, 2000, three weeks after the Sudanese government declared a cease-fire, one of its planes dropped between three and six bombs on the Comboni Primary School, a Catholic missionary school in the Nuba Mountains. The bombs immediately killed 14 children and a 22-year-old teacher. The survivors of the attack carried 18 wounded children, some with limbs blown off, to a nearby German medical facility, one of many such makeshift medical facilities operating in hazardous locations throughout Sudan. A videotape recorded the aftermath of the slaughter. 3 Five of the wounded children later died of their injuries. 4 Bishop Macram Gassis, whose diocese includes the Comboni School, testified before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's hearing on Sudan just one week after the attack: "Truly, this is a slaughter of innocents, an unbridled attempt to destroy the Nubas' hope and indeed their future by destroying their children." 5 The Commission has documented several such cases during the first quarter of this year.
By any reasonable application of international law, the persons responsible for these attacks on civilian populations and humanitarian workers are guilty of "committing crimes against humanity" and should be held accountable by all civilized governments of the world. The Commission has concluded that by the nature of its actions, the government of Sudan has engaged in genocidal activity, and includes among its policy recommendations a request that the U.S. State Department determine whether Khartoum has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The issue of slavery and slavery-like practices is a terrible problem in Sudan. While the practices of inter-tribal raids, abductions and ransoming have historical roots in Sudan, as the Secretary of State stated before the UN Commission on Human Rights last March, the government of Sudan itself is responsible for slavery. The most flagrant example of the government's support for the practice of slavery takes place along the 445 kilometer railroad track from Babanusa (Western Kordofan) through Aweil to Wau (Bahr al-Ghazal), in the form of raids on villages by government-backed murahalin militiamen. The murahalin are mostly Arabic- speaking and Muslim Baggara tribesman, who are traditional rivals of the indigenous Dinka tribes that live near the railway in northern Bahr al-Ghazal. The government arms (although it does not pay) the murahalin to protect the government supply train which leads to the garrison town of Wau. Jemera Rone of Human Rights Watch/Africa explains:
The muraheleen descend on civilian villages on horseback, armed with thegovernment's automatic weapons. The raids are conducted where there is no SPLA presence; the objective is not to kill enemy troops but to enslave 'enemy' civilians and weaken the Dinka, economically and socially. The Dinka are outgunned and horseless; they cannot protect their women, children, or cattle. Those who resist are killed. 6
Thus, rather than limiting their work to protecting the train from rebels, these armed militias terrorize and intimidate Dinka villagers. The exact number of those abducted and enslaved is not known. The Congressional Black Caucus estimates that tens of thousands of women and children, mainly from Bahr al-Ghazal, have been abducted and raped, remain in captivity, and are used as slaves. 7 There are reports by human rights groups that those enslaved are frequently abused and mistreated, and that local law enforcement authorities regularly fail to assist families of abducted individuals or to prosecute those responsible. 8 This led Human Rights Watch to conclude that "the government of Sudan is guilty not only of knowingly arming, transporting and assisting the slave-raiding militia, it also is guilty of not enforcing its own laws against kidnaping, assault, and forced labor." 9
2. Persecution of Christians and Traditional Believers
Since the NIF-backed coup of 1989, discrimination and serious violations of religious freedom increased dramatically. Non-Muslims in Sudan, both Christians and followers of traditional beliefs, in essence have become second-class citizens subject to a wide range of violations, including the misapplication of hudud, legal and social discrimination, forcible conversions to Islam and religious coercion, restrictions on religious institutions, harassment of religious personnel, and persecution.
In spite of the government's rhetoric claiming that it respects the rights of followers of the "revealed religions," Christians of all denominations and backgrounds in Sudan are subjected to repression, discrimination, and persecution. These include restrictions on operations of their churches and on church personnel, harassment, and persecution. The government has not allowed the building or repair of churches in Khartoum since 1969. 10 According to Human Rights Watch, between 30 and 50 Christian schools, centers and churches have been demolished by government authorities in Khartoum state since 1989 ostensibly because they lacked the proper permits. 11 According to Bishop Macram Gassis, a total of 750 Christian schools have already been confiscated by the government. 12 The government rarely grants building permits to Christian institutions, while permits for mosques and other Islamic institutions are readily attainable. 13 Numerous churches and church properties have been bulldozed or confiscated on the grounds of not fulfilling rigid requirements, or of any other pretext supplied by Sudanese authorities. In June 1999, the government served eviction notices on the Episcopal bishop and all other church personnel of the Episcopal diocese in Omdurman, and ordered them to vacate the headquarters. After ecumenical demonstrations, the government returned the headquarters. 14
Government authorities confiscated the Catholic Club in Khartoum. In some areas, such as the province of Damazin, Christian preaching has been outlawed altogether. 15 The government also intimidates and harasses Christian leaders critical of the regime by charging them with both ordinary and security-related crimes. For example, in 1998, a military court tried Fr. Hilary Boma and Fr. Leno Sebit, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Khartoum, along with 24 others for "conspiracy and sabotage." The government released Boma and Sebit in December 1999, following international pressure.
At the same time, Sudanese regimes, past and present, have made no secret of the their designs to eventually integrate the southern populations through a systematic program of Islamization. Differences between the current military regime and previous governments, thus are in degree rather than substance. The current government of Sudan, like all those before it, does not recognize the legitimacy of traditional-indigenous beliefs and views the south largely as a "blank slate" to be converted to Islam. 16 The regime has sought to eliminate traditional- indigenous religions, particularly in the "frontier zones" bordering the south such as the Nuba Mountains and the Ingessana Hills.
There are reports of individuals being forcibly or otherwise coercively converted to Islam.Forcible or coercive actions have occurred among the Nuba of Southern Kordofan and the Gamk of the Ingessana Hills in Southern Blue Nile, and elsewhere in the south such as Bahr al-Ghazal. Much of this religious coercion takes place in so-called "peace villages" a cynical euphemism employed by the government officials to describe camps for the mostly non-Muslim Sudanese who have been forcibly removed from their homes and villages by government or government- backed militia forces. Nearly one-third of the Nuba population have been forcibly removed from their homes and villages and resettled in the peace villages. 17 In addition to government-backed militias, semi-official relief organizations are also reported to be involved in religious coercion of non-Muslims. The Dawah Islamiyya, for example, which operates in a number of refugee camps, is reported to distribute food aid "in a selective fashion, either to Muslims or to those who agree to embrace Islam." 18 Meanwhile, the 1991 Penal Code criminalized apostasy, and subsequent court rulings have rendered it a capital offense. 19 Conversion from another religion to Islam, however, is not considered "apostasy," but rather is promoted as a matter of policy by the government of Sudan.
3. Persecution of Muslims
Muslims in Sudan are not immune to religious repression by the regime. The government of Sudan violates the religious freedom rights of Muslims in Sudan primarily in two ways. The first is through the compulsory enforcement of Muslim religious observance as interpreted by the government. The regime has thus sought to monopolize the discourse on Islam to the exclusion of all other views. As many Muslim critics point out, despite Quranic injunctions against "compulsion in religion" (Quran 2:256), in many instances the government has made otherwise personal religious observances, such as daily prayers and fasting, compulsory. For example, government employees are required to attend congregational prayers and women are not given the option of whether or not they choose to wear the Islamic head scarf (hijab). 20 At the same time, Friday sermons in the mosques must first be vetted by a government commission. Imams who refuse to comply are prevented from preaching. The regime pressures Muslim preachers to preach loyalty to the regime and they may be replaced, harassed, or otherwise ill-treated if they refuse to do so.
Second, the Sudanese government targets Muslim groups and "sects" who are seen as part of the military and political opposition to the government. These include traditional sectarian movements such as the Khatimiyya, Ansar, Ansar al-Sunnah, and Samaniyya, as well as Muslim communities in the "frontier zones" (Nuba Mountains, Darfur, Red Sea, and Ingessana) who are either suspected of collaborating with rebels of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army or of practicing a form of Islam that is not deemed to be "pure." 21
The government of Sudan has particularly attacked the Khatimiyya and the Ansar, which are linked to the banned Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and (until recently) Umma Party respectively. During the past few years, the DUP and Umma have been the two largest Muslim opposition movements. 22
In 1993 the government of Sudan secured a religious edict (fatwa) declaring all those who oppose the regime to be "apostates." Government forces were thereby granted license to attack Muslims of the Nuba and other areas at will and the regime's forces have destroyed or desecrated numerous mosques and Muslim institutions. Attacks on Muslims in the Nuba Mountains, whether by government aerial bombardment or by gangs acting on behalf of the regime, became so common that many Nuba leaders believe that the regime has attacked more mosques than it has churches. 23
4. Oil and Capital Markets
The terrible situation in Sudan is likely to become worse. The Sudanese government, which has been waging a campaign of death and destruction against its own people, is now receiving windfall profits from oil fields in south central Sudan. Sudan has proven oil reserves of 262 million barrels and estimated reserves of more than eight billion barrels. With the completion in mid-1999 of an oil pipeline from south-central Sudan to the Red Sea, Sudan's daily crude output rose dramatically from an estimated 12,000 barrels in 1998 to 150,000 barrels in 1999, and is expected to reach 250,000 barrels in 2000. 24 Experts estimate that the Sudanese government will derive approximately $ 300 - 400 million annually from the new pipeline. 25 These oil profits will provide the government with funds to increase its purchases of military equipment, which will in turn be used to further its campaigns against religious, racial, and ethnic minorities.
There is a critical linkage between oil and gas production and human rights violations in Sudan. The government of Sudan destroyed a number of villages surrounding the Bentiu oil fields in order to rid them of human habitation. The proceeds from the oil revenues will, in turn, continue to be used to support the Sudanese military's actions against other regions of the country. The Harker investigation feared that oil extraction may be contributing to the "forced relocation" of civilian populations living near the oil fields and concluded that, "[i]t is difficult to imagine a cease-fire while extraction continues . . . ." 26 The State Department echoed that sentiment through Secretary Albright's then-spokesman James Rubin, who noted that new oil revenues "provided a new source of hard currency for a regime that has been responsible for massive human-rights abuses and sponsoring terrorism outside Sudan," and added that the United States is "very concerned that investment in the Sudanese oil sector strengthens the capacity of the Khartoum regime to maintain and intensify its brutal war against its own people." 27
In this context, the Commission was alarmed by reports in late 1999, that the China National Petroleum Company (CNPC), a 40 percent stakeholder in a joint venture to develop the Sudanese oil and gas fields, was poised to obtain additional funds from the U.S. capital markets on a huge scale. According to those reports, CNPC was planning to make an initial public offering (IPO) of equity shares in the amount of $10-12 billion. At that level, the IPO would have been one of the largest ones ever made on the New York Stock Exchange.
In response, the Commission studied the applicability of the President's economic sanctions and the disclosure requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to such an IPO, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the SEC. In October 1999, the Commission urged President Clinton and top White House officials to prevent the IPO. The Commission also focused a substantial part of its February 14, 2000 hearing on Sudan on this sort of use of our capital markets.
In the face of the issues raised by the Commission and others, CNPC restructured itself, placing its domestic operations in a wholly-owned subsidiary, PetroChina Company Limited, and retaining its international operations. On the basis of a registration statement filed by PetroChina with the SEC, PetroChina and CNPC each offered and sold PetroChina shares on the U.S. market in early April 2000. The registration statement said that some of CNPC's proceeds might go into retirement of its debt, but left unclear whether any of that debt was incurred in developing the Sudan oil fields. OFAC, which administers the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations, opined that these shares could be purchased so long as there was no "clear statement" that CNPC would use the proceeds to retire Sudan-related debt. As a result, millions of those dollars from CNPC's sale of PetroChina shares may well end up benefitting GNPOC. Also, this and other interpretations by OFAC have clarified that a foreign-organized company may engage in revenue-generating activities in both Sudan and the United States without violating the sanctions regulations.
5. Final Observations and Recommendations
During the last several months, the Commission met with, and heard in its hearings from, foreign policy experts, humanitarian organizations doing work in Sudan, Sudanese religious leaders, other leaders from the beleaguered areas, legal experts on war crimes, and a variety of experts on the use of sanctions. In this process, the Commission learned that U.S. government attempts to enhance religious freedom depended on the effectiveness of our policies in addressing the broader conflict in that nation. And it was equally clear that efforts to help end the civil war needed a new impetus.
Toward that end, the Commission has proposed a comprehensive 12-month plan to significantly strengthen the United States' response to this crisis. In addition, the Commission recommends increasing economic pressure on Khartoum by tightening the current U.S. sanctions on the Khartoum government and constricting the ability of foreign-organized firms doing business with Sudan to raise money in U.S. capital markets. The Commission met with President Clinton in October 1999 to brief him on its work and to ask him to strengthen U.S. efforts to address the urgent issues of Sudan and its violations of human rights and religious freedom.
Recommendations on Sudan
- The United States should continue to increase its humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan and, in particular, increase the percentage of that aid that flows outside the United Nations' food program, and should engage in vigorous multilateral and bilateral efforts to encourage other governments to follow suit.
The United States should begin a 12-month plan of incentives and disincentives to pressure Sudan's government to improve human rights. If there is not measurable improvement in religious freedom in Sudan at the end of that period, the United States should be prepared to provide non-lethal and humanitarian aid to appropriate opposition groups. During the 12 months, the United States should:
a) launch a vigorous campaign, led by the President, to inform the world of Sudan's war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal activities;
b) engage in vigorous multilateral and bilateral efforts to increase economic and other pressure on the Sudanese government;
c) identify specific criteria to measure the Sudanese government'sactions and create linkages between Sudan's actions and the United States' responses;
d) include specific criteria for measuring whether opposition groups have made identifiable efforts to adhere to international human rights norms;
e) if after 12 months Sudan has not made measurable progress toward ending human rights violations and if opposition groups have taken steps to improve their human rights record, provide direct non-lethal aid to appropriate opposition groups; and
f) be prepared to provide aid sooner if the situation deteriorates markedly.
- The Administration should increase its financial and diplomatic support for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace negotiations and persuade Egypt to participate.
- The U.S. government should earmark additional humanitarian aid for building public works (such as roads and bridges) and civil government in southern Sudan.
- The U.S. government should work toward a "military no-fly zone" over Sudan using peaceful means.
- The United States government should formally request an investigation into whether Sudanese government forces have used chemical weapons in violation of international law.
- The Department of State should give Congress its opinion on whether Sudan's government has committed and is committing "genocide" as defined by international law.
- The United States government should prohibit any foreign corporation from seeking to obtain capital in the U.S. market as long as it is participating in Sudanese oil-field development.
- The United States government should require any foreign corporation that is engaged in the development of the oil and gas fields in Sudan to disclose fully, before it may proceed with an IPO in the United States, whether it intends to use the proceeds from the IPO for the development of those oil and gas fields.
- The United States government should require any company that is engaged in both the development of the oil and gas fields in Sudan and revenue-generating activities in the United States to submit public reports from time to time on the nature and extent of both of those activities.
- OFAC should investigate: a) how much of the debt that China National Petroleum Company intends to retire arose from its Sudanese activities; b) what criteria CNPC will use to decide whether to retire Sudan-related debt from the proceeds of its recent sale of PetroChina shares in the U.S. capital market; c) whether prior to the sale CNPC earmarked any of the proceeds for use in retiring Sudan-related debt; and d) whether U.S. underwriters knew or should have known of any such earmarking.
- OFAC should call on the parties to the sale of PetroChina stock to inform it if CNPC does retire Sudan-related debt and explain how U.S. sanctions against Sudan relate to that debt retirement.
- OFAC should inform the Commission and the Congress of the results of its investigation, initiate appropriate enforcement action, and adjust its interpretations of the regulations as appropriate.
- The SEC should be especially careful to investigate the adequacy and reliability of representations made in any filings related to the recent sale by CNPC and PetroChina of PetroChina shares.
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I would like to thank you for inviting me to address the Committee.
1 UN Special Rapporteur for Sudan, Situation of human rights in the Sudan: Addendum, May 17, 1999, ¶ 42.
3 When shown the videotape of the Comboni school bombing, a Sudanese government official in Nairobi, Dirdiery Ahmed, responded that "the bombs landed where they were supposed to land. The bombs landed into a military camp. The SPLA has pulled people into this military camp." Godfrey Mutizwa, Reuters, "Sudan school still in shock after fatal air strike," February 11, 2000. Days later, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mostaf Osman Ismail accused rebel forces of amassing troops in the target area and stated, "If there were civilian groups there, then this was a regrettable matter and the Sudanese government hopes that this will not happen again." Associated Press, "Government says rebels had troops in area where school was bombed," February 14, 2000. A few weeks later, Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, told U.S. envoy Harry Johnston, who was then in Khartoum, that the bombing of the school and the killing of the children was a "mistake." Reuters, "Report: Sudan tells U.S. Nuba Raid was 'Mistake,'" March 6, 2000. But even as Mr. Yassin disavowed the motives behind the Comboni attack, the Sudanese military was bombing the Samaritan Purse hospital. Linda Slobodian, "No Excuses for Bombing," Calgary Sun, March 7, 2000. For other examples of recent bombings of civilian targets, see Sudan Appendix I below.
4 Gabriel Meyer, "Sudan After the Bombs," National Catholic Register, March 26-April 1, 2000. The Comboni Primary School is a Catholic school, named after Daniel Comboni (1831-1881), the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Khartoum.
5 USCIRF, Hearing on Sudan (Gassis testimony), 19. On February 15, 2000, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom held a day-long hearing on Sudan. The hearing was designed to elicit evidence for Commissioners on the situation in Sudan as it relates to religious persecution. The Commission heard testimony from various witnesses, including human rights activists, humanitarian relief workers, religious leaders and others Sudanese and non-Sudanese with direct knowledge of the situation in Sudan. Hearing testimonies, in addition to numerous interviews with other experts by Commission staff, which are included throughout thismemorandum, have been instrumental in the development of the Commission's findings and recommendations.
6 U.S. Congress, House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights and Subcommittee on Africa, Crises in Sudan and Northern Uganda, 105th Cong., 2d Sess., 1998.
7 Congressional Record, 106th Cong., 146, H1753.
8 Human Rights Watch, Background Paper on Slavery and Slavery Redemption in the Sudan, March 12, 1999.
9 Human Rights Watch, Background Paper on Slavery.
10 Boyle and Sheen, Freedom of Religion, 75; UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Implementation of the Declaration, November 11, 1996, ¶ 94.
11 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2000, 78.
12 USCIRF, Hearing on Sudan (Gassis testimony), 21.
13 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2000, 78.
14 Abel Alier, interview with Commission staff, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Washington, D.C., February 8, 2000.
15 USCIRF, Hearing on Sudan (Bíró testimony), 29.
16 See Badal, "Religion and Conflict," 263, 267.
17 Lesch, Sudan, 163. See also Mark Bradbury, "International Responses to War in the Nuba Mountains," Review of African Political Economy 25, no. 77 (September 1998): 463-474, 465. For a quantitative account of forcible resettlement, see Millard Burr, Working Document II: Quantifying Genocide in Southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains, 1983-1998 (December 1998).
18 Bulad, "Triple Genocide," 22.
19 UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Implementation of the Declaration, November 11, 1996, ¶ 20.
20 Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, Beset by Contradictions, 23. See also Julie Flint, "In the Name of Islam," Africa Report (May-June 1995): 34-37, 37.
21 According to Abdelfattah Amor, the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, it is the official policy of the Sudanese to impose "its truth regarding Islam on an erroneous local version of Islam," UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Implementation of the Declaration, November 11, 1996, ¶ 116.
22 In addition to posing challenges to the political hegemony of the Islamists, both the Khatimiyya and the Ansar are rooted in Sufism, Islamic mysticism, and are philosophically in opposition to the NIF. The NIF and its parent organization the Muslim Brotherhood are of the Salafi orthodox trend that is hostile to both traditionalism and mysticism.
23 African Rights, Facing Genocide, 293; Burr, Quantifying Genocide, 20-36.
24 U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Sudan," (November 1999).
25 USCIRF, Hearing on Sudan (Reeves testimony), 104.
26 Harker, Human Security in Sudan, 16.
27 Jeff Sallot and Steven Chase, "U.S. rebukes Ottawa on Sudan: Axworthy backs down on threat to impose sanctions against Talisman for fueling civil war," Globe and Mail, February 15, 2000.


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